Automobile sleigh.



, PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907. W. 0. MIBLKE. AUTOMOBILE SLEIGH. APPLIOAT'IONrum) A menus-s1:

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UNITED STATES r nnT oTFIoE.

WILLIAM CARL MIELKE, O'F PARKERS PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE SLEIGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed April 16. 1906. $erial No. 312,065.

is a motor or engine of suitable character, which can be.

easily and readily controlled from the drivers seat, and further toprovide a mechanism by which this sleigh or sled is guided in operation.

A further object is to provide means for retaining the runners againstrearward movement as the engine or motor operates the piston to forcethe body of the sleigh or sled forwardly.

A further object is to provide a device of this class of simple, durableand inexpensive construction, the parts of which can be easily adjustedand repaired whenever necessary.

My invention consists of certain details in the construction,arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointedout in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of my device. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the cylinder, showing the piston therein and the valvechamber and valve. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of therunners, showing one of the teeth in elevation with the spring formaintaining this tooth normally at its outer limit of movement. Fig. 4is a longitudinal, sectional view of the device taken on the line 44 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view of the device taken on theline 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the numeral 10 toindicate the frame or body of my automobile sleigh or sled. Upon thisframe 10 is mounted the steering wheel 11, which, by rod 12 passingthrough the bottom of frame 10, is rigidly attached to pinion 13.Throttle lever 14 and the drivers seat 15 are likewise secured to theframe 10 in the usual positions. The engine is inclosed by a cover orhood 16, of which the drivers seat 15 forms a part. Upon this frame 10is mounted also a steam boiler 17, with its smokestack 18 projectingthrough the cover 16. Steam is the motive power of my sleigh as here setout, but any other suitable power may be applied.

Resting upon and rigidly attached at its lower ends to runner 19, issupport 20. This support 20, at its upper end, is attached by pin 21 tobunk 22 in such a manner that the runner. 19 may rock and thus thebetter conform to the inequalities of the surface over which it may bepassing. Runner 23, in a similar manner, is connected to the oppositeend of the bunk 22. The

bunk 22 holds the runners 19 and 23 in position relativeto each otherand thus is formed the rear sled of my automobile sleigh.

At each end, the bunk 22 terminates in two vertically projecting arms 24and 25 being at one end, and arms 26 and 27 at the other end. The upperend of each of the arms 24 and 25 has an opening in it through which therounded rear portion of beam 28 of frame 1.0 extends in such a way as toallow these arms 24 and 25 to slide upon it. Around beam 28, immediatelyforward of arm 24 and back of the squared portion of the said beam 28,is coil spring 29, the purpose of which is to ease the jar incident tothe operation of my automobile sleigh. Beam 30 of frame 10 is supportedin a manner similar to beam 28. It plays through holes in the upper endsof arms 26 and 27, similar and corresponding to the holes in arms 24 and25. Coil spring 31 encircles beam 30 in correspondence to the coilspring 29 upon beam 28. Thus is mounted the rear of the frame 10.

Runner 32 is rigidly attached to the bunk 33 by supports 34 and 35. Therunner 36 is similarly attached to the opposite end of the bunk 33. Thebunk 33 holds the runners 32 and 36 in position relative to each otherand thus is formed the forward sled of my automobile sleigh.

Fitting, each into its chamber in the under surface of the runners 19,23, 32 or 36, are the teeth 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46.These teeth are of like construction, are similarly mounted, areoperated by similar springs and are for the purpose of retaining therunners, and thus my automobile sleigh, against rearward movement, whilepermitting forward movement. Therefore I show but one tooth in detail inFig. 3. This tooth 37 is pivotally attached, by its smaller end 47, tothe runner 23, in the chamber 48, which chamber is of sufficient sizeand of such form as to wholly contain the tooth 37 upon occasion. Thespring 49 is securely fastened to the ceiling of the chamber 48 in sucha manner that its free end is in continuous contact with the tooth 37.This results in the tooth 37 swinging up into its chamber 48 as therunner 23 moves forwardly, but droping and engaging the passing surfaceto retain the runner 23 against rearward movement.

The pawls 50, 51, 52 and 53 are pivotally attached to the upper surface,near the rear end, of the runners 19, 23, 32 and 36 respectively, andserve as aids to the aforementioned teeth in retaining the said runnersagainst rearward movement.

From the boiler 17 the steam enters the pipe 54 at the point 55 andpasses into the steam chest 56 and from thence, through steam port 57,into hollow,cylinder 58 and forces the piston 59 toward the opposite endof the said cylinder 58. The pipe 54 is steadied by the brace 60.Expansion joint 61 provides for expansion or contraction in the pipe54-. Throttle lever 14, at its lower end, is pivotally fastened to theframe 10, and, by rods 62, 63 and 64, is so connected with the throttlevalve 65 as to enable the driver of my automobile sleigh to fullycontrol the flow of the steam through the pipe 54 and thus to regulatethe movement of my sleigh.

Pivotally mounted upon the support 66, and connected by the rods 67 and68 to slide valve 69, is rocker arm 70, which, as the piston reachesapproximately the end of the cylinder 58 furthest from the steam port57, engages lug 71 upon piston rod 72, and throws the slide valve 69 soas to close to the live steam the port 57 and open thereto the port 73,thus forcing the piston to the opposite end of the cylinder andcompleting its stroke. As the live steam from the chest 56 enters onesteam port the other is serving as an exhaust port through which thedead steam is passing into the exhaust chamber 75 and from thence intothe open air through exhaust opening '76 and the pipe 77. Lug 74 acts ina manner similar to but in reverse of lug 71.

Forming the forward end of the piston rod-78 is the v crosshead 79,which, by coupling 80 and pin 81, is attached to the driving rod 83. Theforward end of the driving rod 83 is pivotally attached to the centralportion of the bunk 33 of the forward sled. crosshead 79 runs in channelguide 84 and this guide is kept rigid relative to the frame 10 by thesupports 85, 86, 87, 88, 89 and 90.

Pivotally attached to the cross-brace 91 of the frame 10 is a quadrant92 by which the forward sled is directed to steer the vehicle. Theforward edge of the quadrant has a series of teeth on it to form a rack93, which is in mesh with the pinion 13, which pinion is controlled bythe steering wheel 11 through the rod 12. By operating this steeringwheel 11. the forward sled is turned to and maintained in the variouspositions necessary for guiding the vehicle. Connecting the rear portionof the rack 93 and that portion of the quadrant immediately in front ofthe point 94 is a shaft 95. Slidingly mounted on shaft 95 is a collar96, to the lower portion of which the bunk 33 of the forward sled ispivotally attached by means of bracket 97, which is secured rigidly tothe said bunk 33. By these means the forward sled is slidingly andpivotally mounted relative to the frame 10 of the sleigh and can beswung to the desired position to direct the movement of the sleigh. Itwill be seen by an examination of the drawings that, by reason of thefact that the forward sled is slidingly mounted and is connected withthe rod 83 which is oscillated by the piston rod and its attachments,the forward sled will be moved forwardly by the forward stroke of thepiston, and as this forward sled is retained against rearward movementby the projecting teeth on the runners, the return stroke of the pistonwill cause the frame 10 of the sleigh to be moved forwardly and the rearsled with it. The rear sled is retained against rearward movement, andwith it the frame, while the forward sled is being moved forwardly bythe forward stroke of the piston.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, therefore is 1. In a device of theclass described, a body, a rear sled secured to the said body. a forwardsled formed of a frame slidingly mounted relative to the said body, andprovided with runners means for forcing the forward sled forwardly, andthe body and rear sled forwardly while the forward sled is retained atits forward limit: of movement a steer ing segment secured to theforward sled, and means for operating said segment.

2. In a device of the class described, a body, a rear sled secured tosaid body, a forward sled formed of a frame sliding-1y mounted relativeto said body and provided with runners means for forcing the forwardsled forwardly and the body and rear sled forwardly while the forwardsled is retained at its forward limit of movement, and steering meansengaging the forward sled.

3. In a device of the class described, a body, a rear sled pivotallysecured in position relative to the body, runners in said sled, dogssecured to said runners designed to outer snow or ice and preventrearward movement of the sled, a forward sled formed of a frame providedwith runners. teeth secured to said runners designed to prevent:rearward movement of said sled, means for moving the forward sledforwardly to a position where it is retained by its teeth, and fordrawing the body and rear sled forwardly, and steering means engagingthe forward sled.

4. In a device of the class described, a body, a rear sled pivotallysecured in position relative to the body, runners in said sled, dog'ssecured to said runners designed to enter snow or ice and preventrearward movement of the sled, a forward sled formed of a frame providedwith runners, teeth secured to said runners designed to prevent rearwardmovement of said sled, means for moving the forward sled forwardly to aposition where it is retained by its teeth, for drawing the body andrear sled forwardly a steering segment carried by the forward sled, andmeans for operating said segment.

WILLIAM CARL MIELKIG.

Witnesses ALBERT 'lnUN, ALLnx EncKnNmmn.

